Users of wireless and mobile networking technologies are increasingly using their mobile devices to send and receive data as well as communicate. With increased data communications on wireless networks the strain on the limited bandwidth and system resources that are available for wireless telecommunications is also increasing. To handle the increasing amount of wireless services to an increasing numbers of users, an efficient use of the available radio network resources has become important.
In homogeneous networks, the transmission station, also referred to as a macro node, can provide basic wireless coverage to mobile devices within a defined geographic region, typically referred to as a cell. Heterogeneous networks (HetNets) were introduced to handle the increased traffic loads on the macro nodes due to increased usage and functionality of mobile devices. HetNets can include a layer of planned high power macro nodes or macro enhanced node Bs (eNBs) overlaid with layers of lower power nodes (micro-nodes, pico-nodes, femto-nodes, home-eNBs, relay stations, etc . . . ) that can be deployed in a less well planned or even entirely uncoordinated manner within the coverage area of the macro nodes. The macro nodes can be used for basic coverage, and the low power nodes can be used to fill coverage holes, to improve capacity in hot-zones or at the boundaries between the macro nodes' coverage areas, and improve indoor coverage where building structures impede signal transmission.
Mobile devices are increasingly equipped with multiple radio access technologies (RATs) that can connect to and choose among the different types of access networks.
A distribution of users across access networks is a factor in the optimization of system performance of a wireless network. Typically, in a user centric access network selection, users only strive to maximize their own throughputs without regard for other users or the network. Users make RAT or cell selection decisions to selfishly maximize their own throughput without receiving cooperation and assistance from the network. However, users selfishly maximizing their own throughput can limit the overall performance of the wireless network relative to what the network is capable of.
Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated, and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended.